Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-29
A VITAL QUESTION.
The Beef Business Reviewed in All Its
Bearings by One Who Has Studied
the Situation.

An Analysis of the Low Prices of Texas
Cattle and the Rem edY Pointed Out
The Refrigerator to the Rescue.
Mr.. Philip II. Hale, editor of the Texas
Live Stock Journal, having returned from
an extended trip to the great live stock
markets, was interviewed by THE GA
zETIE TO ascertain lis views concerning
the prospects Of thu Texas live stock in
/ terests, matters affecting Fort Worth IS
9 stock market, and the trade In general.
He spoke as follows ~ left Fort
Worth in February, about the time corn
fed stock Of Texas COmmenC ed moving to
market, snd my time was spent at st.
Louis, Chicago and Kansas City. The
people al al the stOckyards were hopeful
that the prices of fat cattle snd sheep
would advance over the prices ruling last
wear, and remained ST the markets long
enough to see them disappointed. The
stOckmen OF the farming states were sill
complaining OF hard times, and some Of
them declare their inability to compete
with Texas and the southwest because Of
tue cold winters north, and the amount Of
feed TO be consumed by the iatteniDg ani-
mails, IS also by the stock 20 be kept on
the farms. The cattle trade Is now in
suCn bad shape that the very best cattle
on the msIket are not bringing N gross
so much by . cents per pound as CHOICE
Texas cattle sold for five years s@0.N
"DO you think that this state Of affairs
viii COnLinueH'
81 believe not. Numerous causes are
assigned TO account Tor the decline in
prices, but the one great cause of such
extreme low values is the constant ship
meut TO market of cattle from the farm
ing districts at time when the grass-ftd
cattle ere forced on the market. There
ls either 8 surplus to be worked OF or
else the Generalization is 50 strong that
farmers are selling their herds instead Of
g beef surplus. We have no reliable dats
to 90 by and can only walt ana see.
ain # very decided opinion that while
there wss surplus, there is none now.
look for gradual change and better
times"
"Can you mention a time when better
prices can be looked for2"
"U=rdly. 1t would not greatly sur
prise me 90 see an Improvement
by fall, but it is hardly TO be
expected The range cattle will
run close into the winter months, and no
Improvement has ever occurred under
pressure Of heavy runs from the ranges ="
''Will the range cattle run heavier than
usual"
"NU; the upper country, from Southern
Colorado to Montana, can only furnish
hesvy runs by shipping out the herds IN
stead of the surplus beef. The range
country is short Of beef, 5u. prOmiscuOus
shipments eau be made Of light and i'm
mature cattle. IL so, the markets Will
continue low, but the reaction will be
stronger when it takes place"
GLOW about sheep and hOgs?"
"Neither is iu excessive supply, and
OOth sell relatively higher than beef
Slee2 are actually short, the result of q
saCriIce-suCh as / believe is now going
on IN the cattle trade"
cit IS said that = combination Of pack
ers controls the price of beef What do
you know about it."
'fTO s certain extent [ believe IL TO be
true. The Gamers and packers use most
of the cattle arriving a. the great mar
kets They are forced to Kill so many
cattle each day to keep in motion, and in
that respect are greater advantage to
the producers than the live cattle ship
pers, who only buy when they Csn see
profit; but to CCunteTGCt this they can
keep supply on hand and regulate their
buying so as to take advantage of heavy
supplies. Then, too, the packers are now
in control Of the markets, being the
greater operators, and they combine in
their own interest against the producers.
If cattle we're scarce, prices would sd
V.LCz, but great scarcity would hardly
force prices 10 very nigh range"
"Cln Texas men make money st present
prices? Yes, but not so much as they
Ought to. Texas can raise cattle faster
and cheaper taan other sJales, and all
not fatteEed on grass, can be finished on
reign feed, cotton seed aud corn. The
only absolute drawback is the cost Of the
thousand mile run to market the shrink
SO and loss by the way. We are too far
from the greas markets and the advsn-
tage, OF climate and grass are Offset by
the expenses Of the trip. When [ was a.
Cni2sgO | met Texas men selling cattle
and buying goods. When st Kansas City
1t was the same. met more Texas cat
tie, sheep and horse rajser5 in ut Louis
Worth n week, outside Of
{
packingIplant g. St. Louis is not run to one
half the capacity Of the Fort Worth plant.
I saw men from the line Of the Texas and
Pacific buying goods I'm st. Louis. I saw
men from COrsiCans, HiusbOrO and Wan
ahschie leaving their money where they
sold cattle, aud | saw Fort Worth and
Dallas men doing the same thing because
in Texas there Wss no market fer live
stock"
"Do you thinks that Texas will ever
have j market for her stock"
cit don't look tlet way now, but it
viii work out that way The Chicago
packers, keeping their main houses az
Chicago, are branching Gu. TO
I Omaha, Denver, Kansas City aZd it is
said that Z new plant is to
/ te established in St. Louis. They have
ned trouble in C1icago with their WORK
men aud with railroads to the seaDJsrt,
and may branch out in this direction.
They control the east and gre now NOV
ing south to place their goods. Northern
Texas, where grass cattle can se mad IN
summer and corn fed cattle n winter, is
good section 70 establish works OF this
Character The Fort Worth plant ought
20 be- iE operation now. There never was
better opportunity, and the Jeue-
Fl. to the city would be very much
greater than mas ever been estimated.
Il the works were operated here, on no
matter how sma.I scale, other enter
prises Of similar character would De soon
gathered round II. RgfTige1a.ing beef is
/ Mt -Ia 7,atLCf ~ f1a future 4 IL fr-